Private Car and Driver in Istanbul: 8 Hours on a Route You Choose

Book a private car with driver in Istanbul through Get Turkey Tours and you get a Mercedes Vito for 8 hours, with seats for up to 6 people. Fuel, parking and pick-up from your hotel are included, and the price starts at $220 per vehicle. Season, hotel location and inclusions affect the figure, so contact us for the current price. You decide where to stop, the driver waits for you at every stop, and you finish the day back at your hotel. Keep in mind that this is a driving service and not a guided tour. Nobody rides along as a guide unless you add one. Families arriving from the Gulf can read about entry rules, flight times and other options for larger families on our Istanbul guide for visitors from the Gulf.

Included in the day with car and driver

Our Mercedes Vito city tour with a private driver gives you:

• a VIP Mercedes Vito used only by your group, from 1 to 6 people;

• 8 hours with a professional driver;

• pick-up from your hotel and drop-off at the end;

• parking charges and fuel;

• a route you plan ahead and are free to change as you go.

You pay separately for museum entry, lunch and drinks, a guide, driver tips and travel insurance.

Four 8-hour routes that fit the day

The tour page suggests the routes below. Combine them however you want, and your driver will give advice on the traffic.

A car is least useful on the Old City route. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar lie only a few minutes' walk from each other, so the driver spends most of the time waiting. The car pays for itself on the Asian side, Bosphorus and photo routes. There the stops are several kilometres apart, and on public transport you would keep switching between ferry, tram and bus.

Do you need a guide as well as a driver?

Your driver gets you from door to door but will not walk into the monuments with you or tell you about them. If you are coming for the history, add a guide. You have two options:

1. Private guided tour with a van. The private Best of Istanbul day is priced for the guide, and you can add a private van as an extra. We suggest this for days on the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.

1. A VIP day with both. On the VIP day with a Mercedes S-Class and a private yacht you get a chauffeur, a licensed guide, tickets for Topkapi and Hagia Sophia, and a cruise on a yacht.

Go for the driver alone if you know Istanbul already, want to shop or photograph without being hurried, or are travelling with older family members who need the car nearby.

Timing, traffic and parking

The biggest unknown in Istanbul is the traffic. During weekday rush hours (about 7:30–10:00 and 17:00–20:00) the bridges and the coast road crawl, and around midday the narrow lanes of the Old City can be slow as well. A smart plan starts early, crosses the Bosphorus bridges or visits the Asian side away from rush hour, and keeps the Old City for the middle of the day, since you will be walking there regardless. Parking costs nothing extra, and your driver lets you out as near to every entrance as the traffic rules permit.

Remember which days things close: Dolmabahçe Palace on Monday, Topkapi Palace on Tuesday, the Grand Bazaar on Sunday, and mosques during the midday prayers on Friday.

More ways to use a private car

• Airport transfers: our VIP airport transfer in Istanbul starts at $60 per vehicle for a maximum of 6 passengers. The price depends on which airport, where your hotel is and the season, so ask us for the current figure. We track your flight and meet you with a name sign. Our Istanbul airport transfer guide gives more detail.

• Layovers: a van, a guide and transfers to and from the airport all come together in our private layover tour of Istanbul.

• Trips beyond the city: you can reach Iznik, Edirne and Bursa by private car; browse our day trips across Türkiye.

How to book

On the tour page, choose your date, a start time (06:00 or later) and how many guests are coming, then submit the request. Nothing is paid online at booking. Let us know your hotel address and the stops you are thinking of, and we will test the route against traffic and closing days. You can cancel free of charge up to 7 days ahead. Every car and transfer we offer is listed on our private cars and transfers page.

Frequently Asked Questions